Howard Putnam

Howard Putnam’s ultimate objective is “bottom line improvement.” He believes that business cultures that place emphasis on people as the utmost priority in determining their future find long-term impact and success.

Putnam is the former CEO of the highly successful Southwest Airlines whose foundation and culture placed people first. When he was recruited to be the CEO of failing Braniff International, he was the first CEO to successfully restructure a major airline into, through, and out of Chapter 11. His previous experience includes spending over twenty years with United Airlines, with his final position being Group Vice President of Marketing.

Putnam has been an entrepreneur and has served as a director of several startup technology companies. He is an author, speaker and advisor on business issues, change, leadership and ethics. HarperCollins published his first book, The Winds of Turbulence. Harvard University wrote a case study on his Braniff experiences, “The Ethics of Bankruptcy.”

Putnam has an MBA in Marketing from the University of Chicago and attended Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.